Pianissimo device for musical instruments.



PTENTED JAN. 28, 1908.v I, B, SMITH.

No. 877,603.A

GAL NSTRUMBNTS.

PIANISSMO J'JLY 36,1904.

FLED

APPLGATION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I. B. SMITH.

PATENTBD JAN. 28, 1908.

PIANISSIMO UEVIGE I'OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIGTION FILED JULY 30.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@n vente:

A @Henna-1j UNITED sTArEs PATENT oEErcE.

y IRVING B. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, -ASSIGNOR TO THESTOKESer SMITH I,

COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEYIPIANISSIII@ DEVICE, FOR :MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. as, i908.

Application i'iled July 30. 1904. Serial No. 218,731,

other stringed musical instruments, and is'l y especially adapted foruse in connection with automatically operated pianos.

The main purpose of the invention is to provide improvements in theclass of mui"- iers that are constructed and arranged to be interposedat will between the hammers and the strings of the musical instrument insuch manner that the musical tones may be muf D as the performer maydesire.

A further and important object of the in vention, is to provide animproved muiiier of the apron type, adapted to be interposed between *hehammers and strings of the piano, the construction and arrangement ofthe a ron and its mounting being such that some o the musical tones maybe muffled independently of and diiierently from others.

A still further purpose of the invention, is to rovide a muffler of theapron type by which some of Athe musical tones may be muflied to agreater or less degree than' others, whereby a. note or group of notesat any point along the key-board may be accented while others aresubdued.

The invent-ion has in view other important objects which will hereafterappear in the detailed description which is to follow this statement.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention comprises tone muiflingmeans interposed between the hammers and the strings of the musicalinstrument, said means consisting of a plurality of members eachcomprising secfled to a greater or less degree, accordingly,

tions of material which diner from one another in theirenergy-transmitting or absorb ing properties, and mechanism connected tothe said members for moving them either independently or unitedly tocause them, or either of them to assume various positions obliquely tothe line ofjhammers, whereby some of the musical tones will be, soundedlouder than others.

In'order to enable. others `,to understand,

make and use my said invention, I will now proceed to describe the samein detail, reference being had for this purpose, to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of a portionof an upright piano, showing my improved mufiier applied thereto; Fig.2, is an enlarged detail sectional view of one form of muler apronconstructed according to my invention Fig. 3, is a similar view of aslightly modified form of muffler apron; Figs. 4 and A5, are similarviews of other forms of muther aprons within the spirit and scope of theinvention; Fig. 6, is a erspective view ofone form of mechanism :oroperating the muffler; and Figs, 7, 8, 9, 1() and 11 are views showingsome of the various positions the muffler may be caused to assume inorder to produce different musical tone effects: I will first describeone form of mechanism for mounting and operating the muffler and willthen describe the construction'of the muffler itself, together with themanner of obtaining the various musical effects by shifting the positionthereof relatively to the hammers.

In the lannexed drawing, Fig. 1, the reference numeral 1, designates thestrings of a piano and 2, the actuating hammers, these elements being ofthe usual construction. Secured to and projecting outward from the pianoframe, are four brackets 3, 4, 5 and 6, said brackets being preferablylocated above the hammers 2, as more'clearly shown in Fig. 6. Journaledin the outer ends of the brackets 3 and fl, is a horizontal shaft 7,hava rearwardly extending arm 8, and a forwardly extending arm 9. Asleeve 10, is iitted to turn freely on the inner end of the shaft 7,said sleeve having its bearing in the bracket 4.. This sleeve alsocarries a rearwardly extending arm 12, and a forwardly extending arm 13,the latter preferably overhanging the arm l), as shown in Fig. 6. Ashaft 14, is journaled in the brackets 5 and ,6, and this shaft hassecured thereto at itsopposite ends, a rearwardly extending arm l5, anda forwardly extending arm 16, as shown. The shafts 7 and 14, andthesleeve 10, are in substantial horizontal alinement as will be seen,andthe same is true of the rearwardly .extending arms 8, 12 and 15.

To each of the'forwardly extending arms 9, 13. and 16, is respectivelysecured a deing secured to its opposite ends respectively,`

pending rod 17, 18 and 19,' the rod 17, being .connected at its lowerend to alever 20, pivoted at 21; the rod 18, being connected at itslowerend to a lever 22, pivoted at 23, and the rod 19, being co free endwith a finger key 26, said keys being '.marked respectively with ltheletters B, M and T, indicating the bass, middle and treble,-

strings of the piano, all for a purpose preseiitlyV to be explained. Theforward ends of the pivoted levers are normally held upward by sui-tablemeans, shown in the present instanceas consisting of lat blade springs27. It willbe bbvious that other forms of springs the hand or foot ofthe performer.

'1 he foregoing description relates to one form of ymechanism for oerating my improvedmiuiler which I l now proceed to y. ends of thearms'8 and 12, is one member 28,V

describe.

Secured to and depending from the rear of an apron muliier, andsecuredto and depending from the' rear ends of the arms' 12 and 15, is anotherniember'29, of theapron muffler.

These two members of the mufller normally lie in horizontal alinementabove so as tobe interposed between' the hammers 'and the strings.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated one form of.

the hammers 2, and either or both members q 29, ofthe mufflerare securedto and depend may be lowered at the will of the performer, in anovelmanner presently yto be explained,

. muffler constructed in accordancev with this invention. As shown4 iiivthis `iigi1re, the muiiler members each consists of a single stri ofvfelt or other similar material- 30,'

we ge shape in cross-sectiomor' having one straight face 31, and aninclined face 32.

In 1 Fig. 3, a somewhat similar form of.

' muier apron is shown, but instead of making the apron members fromsingle pieces of material, they are each constructed of a plu'- ralityof strips 33, graduallyv decreasing in lerigth so as to provide on oneside a series of gitudinal edges as at 35.

. vIn Fig. el, I show another way of constructing the apron. to producethe desired result. .In this instance the members of .the apron are madeup of a strip 36, having longitudinally extending portions, or sections,of gradually varying density, said portions or sections being indicatedby the letters a, b, c

and d. I also show in Fig. 5, still4 another way of forming the apron.In this case each o o ected at its lower end' vto 'a lever 2 4, pivo edat 25. Each of thev levers 20, 22 and 24, is provided at its outer' Thethree operating lar part ofthe. muffler-they strike.

stepped faces 34,' as shown against which the- In each form shownit willbe seen that the-v apron contains portions or longitudinal sedtions, ofgradually varying resistance, formed either by the different thicknessesof the materialof the apron, the difference in the density ofthematerial or by the nature of thel material employed. Itv will thus beseen if,some

of the hammers aie caused to strike their strings through theinterposition of one section or portion of the apron, while' others arecaused to fact u on their stringsthrough the interposition o another ordifferent section or portion of the apron, that'the resultant musicaltones will vary g those struck through the pplrtioiis or sections ofgreater density or ess being softer than. those struck' through thesections orpvortionsV of lesser density or thickness. 'By constructingthe mufflei"- apron'in this manner, it will be apparent that finegradations in tone vvolume canwbel secured by shifting the positionofthe apron relatively to the hammers. This is accomplished'by theoperatingmechanism first de scribed and the manner of securing some ofthe various gradations'will now be described.

As before stated, the two members 28 and from the arms 8, 12 and 15, andit will be apparent then if the key 4lettered Bis depressed, that thearm' 8 will be lowered and with it the vouter end ofthe apron member 28,but the opposite end of 'the section 28 will remain Xed. This depression*of the key lettered B, lwill,therefore', move the apron member 28, .onan inclined line relatively tp the hammers as shown in Fig. 8,' so thatsome of them willl strike along one portion' of the apron while otherswill'strike along' other portions, andthe resultant musical tones in thebass will vary gradually depending on the particu-v Should the keylettered T, be de ressed, then the arm'j 1,5, and'outer end of t e apronmember 29, would be lowered on an. inclined line, as

- showninFig. 9,v the same as described with respect.- to the key B,'and arm' 8, and the treble strings would then be correspondinglyaffected.

By simultaneously depressing the.. two

4outer keylevers lettered B and T, the 'outer ends of the mufflermembers 28 and 12S-)will be moved downward. to cause said members toassume positions oblique tothe line of liamo range-outward, if thehammers were successive y y actuated accordingly. By depressing themiddle key lettered M, the adjacent' ends of .the members 2S and 29,willvbe lowered to cause sai'd members to assume the position oblique tothe line of hammers as indicated in Fig.v11, and in this case crescendoeffects would be produced in both the treble and 'the,bass from themiddle range outward, if

the hammers were actuated successively in this order. By simultaneouslyoperating all thee key levers B, M and "I, both members 2S. and 29 ofthemufilr may be'moved up or down as desired, the extent of movement beinggoverned ofcourse by the amount of de-v 'pression iven the keys. 'It isobviousthat dierent ey combinations will produce dit'-4 -ferent andvaried musical effects.

Bythe muffler means herein described it 'y made. up of two members, as Imay emp oy-a greater or less numberof members as fsired, withoutdeparting from the spirit land .scope of theinvention as eiqres'sedvintheappended claims. Liljrewise, do not-wish to' be understood asllmiting myself to the l precise form of apron o era'ting'rnechanism'ereln'shown anddescri ed, foriit-ls obvious gest" themse v es.

,What I claim' iszv 1. A'pianohaving' tone that other o erating meanswill readilr sugmailling means 4interposed between the hammers and thestrings, said means consisting of a plurality of members each comprisingsections' of material which differ from one another in theirenergy-transmitting properties, and mechanism connected to the saidmembers for moving them independently of each other to cause eithersection to assume various positions oblique to the line of hammers.

2. A piano having tone muiiiing means interposed between thel hammers landthe strings, said means consisting of a plurality of aprons eachcomprising sections of material which diiier from one another in theirenergy-transmitting properties, and mechanism connected'to said 'apronsfor moving them independently of one another tocause either apron toassume a position oblique to the'line of hammers.

j 3. A piano having tone muiiling means interposed between the hammersand rthe; strings, said means consisting of an comprising sections ofmaterial which from oneanother in their energy transmitting properties,.and mechanism connected to said' apron for liexing it intermediate itsapron lffer ends to cause different portions thereof to i' assumelpositions oblique to' the line of hammers.

of members, each comprising sections of material which differ from oneanother in their energy transmitting properties, and mech- `anismvconnected to the said members to 4. A piano having tone-muling meansinterposed. between 'the' hammers and vtheA strings, said meansconsisting of a plurality g cause them to assume positions oblique tothe line of hammers.

In testimony whereof I 'have hereunto set my hand in presence oi twosubscribing witnesses,

IRVINGv B. SMITH. Witnesses:

GEO. Z. SUTTON, PHILIP S. SMITH.

